Every year for the last 40 years the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA) selects America's best license plate. This year's 40th anniversary competition featured a record number of nominations from as far away as American Samoa. There's even a bear-shaped plate! Here are America's 12 best license plates.

ALPCA focuses on the designs of the plates, not the clever alphanumerical contents, and this year's nominations represent a pleasing mix of modern and classic looks. Some are extremely ornamental while others embrace simplicity.

Click through the gallery above to see the winning plate and the 11 nominees.

"While we strongly support using license plates for promotional and fundraising initiatives, their most important function is still law enforcement and public safety. We believe license plate design can be attractive and legible and we advocate uncluttered designs that be easily read and identified on a moving vehicle. New Mexico's Centennial plate is the only turquoise plate in the world today and the graphic design is simple but elegant."